Vauxhall's new range

VAUXHALL'S tiniest tot has been revised in recent times to offer a little more sophistication to those who could never quite square the concept of this strange confection of Oriental and Occidental cultures.

Vauxhall Corsa

As a sobering testament as to how quickly things move in the supermini sector, take a look at Vauxhall's latest Corsa. A fundamental restyle of a car that was introduced at the tail end of 2000, the Corsa reminds us that in this dynamic market, a 36-month lifespan represents the equivalent of a long service award.

Vauxhall Meriva

The Vauxhall Meriva is a supermini-MPV based on a Corsa platform, making it a good deal smaller than a Zafira, which rides on Astra mechanicals.

Vauxhall Astra

There has to come a moment when Vauxhall's capacity to surprise us wanes. For years, this manufacturer laboured under the weight of a dull but worthy model range aimed at undemanding fleet managers, but of late the brand has been transformed into one of the most progressive around. The latest Astra model shows Vauxhall at their confident, contemporary best.

Vauxhall Zafira

The one thing you can never have enough of in an MPV-style vehicle is space and sure enough, the tale of the tape reveals that the Zafira has succumbed, if not to middle age spread, then at least a little loosening of the belt. This is perhaps understandable given the fact that with utility vehicles like the Meriva mopping up sales in the supermini-MPV class and no recognised full-sized MPV contender, there was a vacuum into which the Zafira would be drawn.

Vauxhall Vectra

The Vectra now benefits from the sleek front end we first saw on the Astra and it's much the better for it. Vauxhall Signum

Based on a stretched Vectra chassis, the well-equipped Signum range tacks between £1,300 and £1,900 onto the prices of broadly equivalent Vectra models, a chunky premium for exactly what? One of the key features that Vauxhall seem very proud of is the Signum's so-called FlexSpace seating concept. This allows the outer rear pair of seats to slide back and forth, allowing a trade off between legroom and luggage capacity.

Vauxhall VX220

Despite its familiar badge, Vauxhall's VX220 is without doubt in every way a specialist sportscar. It would be easy to dismiss the £26,495 VX220 as nothing more than re-bodied Lotus Elise. The two cars were, after all, developed by the same people. Easy, but incorrect. In reality, the two cars share only 10 per cent of their parts and are powered by completely different engines.

Vauxhall Tigra

Whereas the old Tigra was rather optimistically dubbed a 2+2 coupe, the latest version is an unashamed two seater. At the press of a button, the hard top folds into the boot, turning the little coupe into a full convertible. Two petrol engines are available, both sixteen-valve petrol units. The 90bhp 1.4-litre version opens proceedings and the punchier 125bhp 1.8-litre car is only available in Sport trim. The other option is a 1.3-litre CDTi diesel.

Vauxhall Monaro

Although you may have issues with the Monaros' size, thirst and overall shininess, it's impossible not to be impressed by the price. This 349bhp monster retails under £30,000 and an even hoarier 397bhp VXR version is also being offered. The Vauxhall Monaro deserves to reward Vauxhall's sense of adventure for importing it in the first instance. It's a big, heavy, fast car that imposes few of the compromises that big, heavy, fast cars usually come saddled with.

PRICES

Citycar - Agila 5dr - £6,445-£8,945

Supermini - Corsa 3/5dr - £6,995-£12,755

Supermini MPV - Meriva 5dr - £9,995- £16,495

Medium Family Hatchback - Astra 3/5dr - £10,995-£18,375

Medium Family Estate - Astra 5dr - £13,425 - £18,675

Convertible - Astra 2dr - £16,995-£22,145

Medium People Carrier - Zafira 5dr - £12,995-£21,995

Family Saloon/Hatchback - Vectra 4/5dr - £14,750-£25,945

Executive Saloon - Signum 5dr - £17,995-£26,745

Compact Coupe - Tigra 2dr - £13,995-£16,195

Roadster - VX220 2dr - £26,495

Large Coupe - Monaro 3dr - £29,895-£36,995